Rabbit theft!

[Southbound_SF]

Came home from work today and found a cage door hanging open and only two kits in there with mom ... uh oh! :shock: There had been 7!

It's the ONLY cage without a lock on it (or was; I put one on there now) just due to not getting around to it. So I went out back in the alley and asked the neighborhood kids if they'd seen anyone messing around in my yard, said someone had let out some baby rabbits that were too young to be away from their mother, that they'd probably die without her. One kid said he'd seen one hopping around in his front yard, so he went around the corner and immediately came back with a little black kit in his hand. Riiiight, yeah, there's no way he caught one that fast. But hey, I'm not going to get my rabbits back if I go around making accusations, am I? These kids had also implied that they didn't know I had rabbits, or that a person could fit through that gap in my fence, which is the way I came out. It's just easier than undoing the lock, but I guess I better get around to fixing it, huh? So yeah, I'm not buying that story, but they gave me one back, so I'm not complaining. :roll:

Some of the other kids said they'd seen some bunnies running around in the alley, so I went and looked, but didn't find anything. Asked some other kids about it, and they said they'd keep an eye out. Thanked the basketball-playing kids for their help, went back in the yard, and hey! There's one in here! He eluded me for a while, nibbling on the weeds and dashing THROUGH the chain link fence whenever I came too near, but he clearly wanted to be back with his family. Mustache, the doe, was watching him run around quite intently, and he kept going over by her cage and standing on his back legs, as if looking for a way up.

I waited for him to sort of corner himself by the cages, then caught him in a towel as he tried to dash by me. Those little suckers are FAST, but I am smarter. So now there are four young-uns back with their mother. I suspect this one jumped out of some kid's hands when they tried to pick him up, as bunnies are wont to do. Perhaps more will turn up, though I suspect at least some of the missing 3 are now pets that nobody asked their parents if they could have. I guess I'll go get a live trap in case their solution to that is turning them loose.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Darn it, I'm sorry that this happened!!! Glad the one kid was helpful, but you are right, it was probably the children. Hope you get those kits back!!!!

 

[Southbound_SF]

Thanks, Kyle. The strangest thing is, I'm not really even mad about it. Yeah, they trespassed in my yard and stole my dinner, but it was sort of my fault, and it was "only" some meat mutts (if they'd gotten my Silver Foxes you bet I'd be pissed). These kits are almost 4 weeks now, so it's possible they'll survive as pets, but if they're out in the alley, well, a cat's going to get them.

SB

 

[Miss M]

Nope, not your fault. Your yard is your yard. If you leave something unlocked, and someone steals it, it isn't your fault, it's the thief's fault.

Not saying you shouldn't lock your bunnies up. Ours are locked. The rabbitry is locked, the chicken coop is locked, the shed is locked, and the wellhouse is locked. Even the box under the electric meter is locked. It is wise to lock up things that are important or valuable. But the blame is on the thief if he steals.

I'm glad the one kid had a change of heart. I hope some of the others find their way back to you. Maybe through that kid. "You better give it back! She said it was gonna die!"

 

[akane]

This is why I'm on the fence about having my rabbits outdoors if we get a house in town. I could expand again but there's kids to mess with things and peta loving adults. When we raised guinea pigs in the yard pups would disappear sometimes. Guinea pig pups can survive without their mother within 3 days of being born and we were raising them as pets so it was just an annoyance.

If the kits are loose I wouldn't give up hope. Even with all sorts of wild predators and barn cats several people including me have had rabbits or guinea pigs return after a day or 2. Usually so stressed out and wanting back in their pen that they just sit there while you pick them up. Putting out a hiding spot (mine like the pallets for hay in the stable) can give them somewhere to hide out until you find them.

 

[PSFAngoras]

My rabbits have been outside and unlocked for the last two years. This all makes me want to lock them up!

 

[ladysown]

Your yard is your yard. If you leave something unlocked, and someone steals it, it isn't your fault, it's the thief's fault.

not according to the cop who came by when we have our thefts (plural). it IS our fault even if we have a fence. if the rabbits aren't locked up we are just asking for them to be stolen.

So now anything under three pounds gets a lock on the cage. TOTAL pain in the rear... but now if it happens again I can say THEY WERE LOCKED UP! come get prints or something PLEASE.

But they simply don't come out any more. They take the information and that's it.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I agree that the ONLY one(s) at fault are the THIEF (or thieves) who stole from you!!!! :evil:

 

[katiebear]

The cops in my small town only come if someone has been shot,in fact we reported ourselves for having to shoot two feral dogs that attacked and killed our Nubian goats....they showed up a half hour later commended my hubby on his shooting and hot loads. Told us "next time don't move the bodies" :shock
Yeah, that's the world we live in if you don't want some @###@%# to steal what is yours, you have to put a lock on it. I am not that old but I remember leaving the house unlocked, keys in the car,even sleeping with doors and windows open.Sigh, not like that anymore. Even kids will steal stuff, like livestock, whatever happened to rustling laws?
I hope you get your babies back,all I raise are "just meat mutts" but they are mine and I love them.

 

[Prisma]

Thieves are thieves here, if they steal and caught they get dealt with. We've been told protecting ourselves and property is OK, just don't move or just injure....that's the scary thing. A hurt thief can get more in court than the one being stolen from ugh.

 

[Southbound_SF]

I agree that morally (and should be legally), a crime is always always ALWAYS the fault of the person who chooses to commit it. Maybe this feeling is just "I should have done more", as I knew this was a possibility. That cage is locked now, you better believe it.

I hope some of the others find their way back to you. Maybe through that kid. "You better give it back! She said it was gonna die!"

That's pretty much why I told them that. Not that it's not true (though 4 weeks isn't entirely a death sentence), but hoping it would help get them back, through guilt.


SB

 

[squidpop]

You could make a flyer saying "Lost baby rabbits" please call XXXXX
It might inspire the kids return the rabbits to you if they get bored of them.
I think when I was a kid, around 10-12 years old, if we knew someones rabbits where meat rabbits we would have organized a rescue mission, partially because we would have felt sorry for the babies, but mostly because we were always bored and looking for something to do and baby rabbits are cute.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

You could make a flyer saying "Lost baby rabbits" please call XXXXX
It might inspire the kids return the rabbits to you if they get bored of them.
I think when I was a kid, around 10-12 years old, if we knew someones rabbits where meat rabbits we would have organized a rescue mission, partially because we would have felt sorry for the babies, but mostly because we were always bored and looking for something to do and baby rabbits are cute.

That's a good idea, making a flyer.